Also called: Ammonia Refrigeration Technician, Refrigeration Operator
Operates and repairs the giant ammonia refrigeration systems that keep food plants, cold warehouses and ice rinks frozen.
You check compressors the size of cars that keep a meat plant at freezing temps, wearing a gas monitor because ammonia leaks are serious. You drain oil, replace seals and help design safety upgrades. Every frozen pizza you've eaten depended on someone like you.
Estimated.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. High-school diploma plus on-the-job training; certifications from RETA are common.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, Trade school, Apprenticeship. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Refrigeration Technology, HVAC-R (trade school).
Growing faster than average. No separate BLS projection; cold storage for food and e-commerce is expanding.
Low risk for 10 years. Ammonia systems are dangerous and complex; trained techs are scarce and needed on-site.
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Shop class.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.